The Soundtrack for Teaching Your Kids About the Bible

     In the car, at work, at school, eating out, waiting in line, in the elevator, at the gym - music is everywhere. Music motivates us to focus, distracts us when we're bored, gives us words to express our deepest feelings, and transforms a get-together into a party. When you think back to your teenage years, your favorite song or artist underscores most of your best memories. Music has a profound impact on shaping our experiences. As parents, we can use the power of music to inject God's truth into the hearts and minds of our children.

We can use music as a way to teach our kids more about the Bible, and enjoy growing in their relationship with God.

     We echo God's creativity when we make songs and melodies. How much more when we sing God's own words back to him! Even if you aren’t a gifted musician, everyone can enjoy song and dance to a good beat (well, some of us just "dance"). Here's a few bands that make music specifically to help your family memorize Scripture. Even though they're songs for kids, they won't drive you crazy!

     The Rizers (short for Memorizers) "instill in kids a love for Jesus Christ and his word through Scripture memory, praise and worship." Here's a music video for their song Proverbs 3:5-6 (Trust in the Lord).

 You can follow the Rizers on Facebook or listen to their music on Spotify. 

     We highlighted Seeds Family Worship a while back as a great resource for learning Scripture together as a family (read our post about Seeds Family Worship here). They have hundreds of songs that are word-for-word memory verses available to stream or purchase, as well as videos and other resources to make your experience even more fun.

     Another band that you and your kids are sure to like is Bear Hug Band. While their lyrics aren't word-for-word from the Bible like The Rizers or Seeds Family Worship, their songs still hold biblical wisdom and truth. Check out their video for Big Big Love below, and stream all their music on Spotify.

     God's gift of music is powerful. Let's use this gift for his glory as we teach our children more about his Word. 

Kids, Politics, and What You Can Do About It

     The conventions are over. The nominees are chosen. As we turn our attention to November, politics seem to permeate every social media channel, news station, and conversation. The hype can cause us to throw our identity behind our political party and who we're voting for. "Us" versus "Them" seems to be the name of the game. It's so much easier to alienate those with different political affiliations than it is to engage in a civil, helpful conversation about our differences.

     In their early years, most kids end up adopting whatever political opinions their parents support. I can't count the number of conversations I've heard at Camp about how one candidate is "the only good choice" and the other candidate is "a liar", "will cause World War 3", or "is crazy!" (I've heard these things about candidates from both sides of the aisle).

How do we teach our children to engage in the political process with their character still in tact?

     As Christ followers, it's important to remember our ultimate authority. God is the sovereign King over the whole world. His word trumps everything else (*that's not a comment about any specific candidate!*). He has given us the Bible as the final rule to guide us through our lives, which includes the how we vote. As parents, instilling Christ-like character into our children is what will ultimately drive their political decision-making. 

Below are a few Scripture passages to help guide our families through election season, and affect positive change in our country.

"Everyone must submit to governing authorities. For all authority comes from God, and those in positions of authority have been placed there by God." Romans 13:1

• We should confidently teach our children who is in control. Regardless of who's elected, Jesus is still the King (ref. Matthew 28:18).

"I urge you, first of all, to pray for all people. Ask God to help them; intercede on their behalf, and give thanks for them. Pray this way for kings and all who are in authority so that we can live peaceful and quiet lives marked by godliness and dignity." 1 Timothy 2:1-2

• We should pray for our leaders. Encourage your children to pray for world leaders, presidents, congressmen, senators, local politicians, teachers, and pastors. How can we expect each one to adequately fulfill their duties if we as citizens don't support them through prayer? It is only through the Holy Spirit where prayer is answered and communities are united.

"Remind believers to submit to the government and its officers. They should be obedient, always ready to do what is good. They must not slander anyone and must avoid quarreling. Instead, they should be gentle and show true humility to everyone." Titus 3:1-2

• Love each other. Be gentle towards one another. It's easy to love people who think and act like you. The true test of love and humility comes when we reach out to the people on the "other" side of the spectrum. We must always remember these words of Paul in his letter to Titus:

"We too, were once foolish and disobedient. We were misled and became slaves to lusts and pleasures. Our lives were full of evil and envy and we hated each other. But- when God our Savior revealed his kindness and love, he saved us, not because of the righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy" (Titus 3:3-5, paraphrased).

Jesus came to abolish "us vs. them." Let's stop accusing, judging, and condemning. Let's start loving, giving, and serving all in accordance with God's word.

Quality & Quantity - Making Time With Your Kids

     Each year seems to have a season that is a little more busy than the rest. We have times when our career is more hectic, our responsibilities increase, and our time at home seems to be rare. For my family, this season is the summertime. Summers at Camp of Champions USA are full of games, field trips, swimming, discipleship, and hot dogs; but the long summer days at Camp can be tough on my family, especially my kids. Every day I come home to smiles and big hugs from my son and daughter. It’s one of my favorite parts of the day. But it can be challenging for my kids when I’m gone before they wake up and don’t come home until dinner time. They notice the fewer hours that I spend with them during the summer months. 

     I stumbled across an article on familylife.com by Dan Sheaffer called “8 Creative Ways for Dads to Spend Time With Their Toddlers” that really resonated with me. In his article, Sheaffer describes an experience when his son began acting out when he would return home from work. He offers eight ways to intentionally connect with your kids when life is crazy.

     One of his ideas, “go outside to play” is simple but profound. I run around outside with kids all day during the summer and sometimes the last thing I want to do is go to a park or play on the swings when I get home. I’m tired, and I suspect most parents are when they get home from work. But showing my kids that quality time playing with them is a priority to me makes a huge impact on them.

     Sheaffer also recommends running errands with your kids. This is something I have found very beneficial. Anytime I have to run out to grab something, I take one of my kids with me. Even though running errands might not be an inherently exciting activity, we call them “daddy dates” and try to make them fun. For example, if I need to run to the grocery store, I’ll take my son with me and let him push a kid’s size shopping cart around and help me scan our items at the self checkout. My kids and I have both come to cherish these moments during the craziness of summers. More importantly, it allows us space to talk, share, pray, and play together. It helps me make sure that I'm striving to disciple my own kids as much as I disciple others at Camp. 

What does quality time with your kids look like? How do you make time to spend with them during busy seasons of life? Take a moment and write out a goal for yourself on how you can spend better quality and quantity time with your kids.

Help Set Your Kids Up for Financial Success

     Student loans are an enormous problem. The national student debt is now over $1.2 trillion (yes, trillion. With a "t"). Like most recent college graduates, I'm working to pay off my loans as quickly as possible. I've picked up a part time job to put more money towards my debt, and often my work day lasts from 7:30am to 10:30pm. I'm sure that working multiple jobs is a familiar way of life for many of you. The added work can be very stressful for both you as a parent and for your children. What if you could set your kids up for financial success? What if they didn't have to work a 2nd job when they get older?

     Best selling author and nationally syndicated radio talk show host Dave Ramsey has helped many people get out of debt and experience financial peace. Chris Brown, another member of the Ramsey Solutions family, wrote a insightful article on helping your kids avoid common money mistakes. Chris offers financial wisdom for parents with kids of any age with practical tips you can put into practice right now.

It starts at home. The Bible says that parents should “train up a child in the way he should go” (Proverbs 22:6), but many simply don’t feel equipped to teach their kids about money matters.

Check out "9 Ways to Teach Your Kids About Money."

     How do you teach your kids about money? What practical ways have you taught your kids how to manage their finances? Nobody does this perfectly, so it's ok to admit you're still learning. Leave a comment, and help us to learn from you!

3 Ways to Keep Your Kids Safe

““DO NOT take candy from strangers” ”

With Halloween just around the corner, it made me think of the ultimate advice that parents give to their children.

     The irony with this advice is that on Halloween night we actually encourage children to ask for candy from complete strangers. And actually, there's a bigger problem with the candy-from-strangers cliche: While strangers can be dangerous, our children face more danger from people they actually know. According to the Department of Justice, strangers account for only 10% of all abuse cases, while acquaintances account for 90%. 

     That's not the typical scare we expect so close to Halloween, but if this is the reality of the world we live in, then it’s worth thinking about.  

Here are three specific things you can do to help keep your kids safe.

1. Teach your kids the basics of personal boundaries. At Camp, we teach our campers to “Respect everyone with your hands and feet.” It’s important for children to know what's appropriate both physically and conversationally. Let your kids know that anyone who crosses those boundaries is doing something wrong. Teach them to tell you about it right away. 
2. Encourage your kids to stay in groups of three. "Groups of 3" is a rule that we heavily emphasize at Camp both with our campers and with our staff. We never allow anyone to be alone with another person. It may seem extreme, especially if it's someone you trust, but this safeguard can go a long way in protecting your child. Encourage them to follow the Groups of 3 rule at church events, in child care settings, and even on play dates at a best friend's house. There's power and accountability in numbers.
3. Lastly, ask organizations about their hiring (or volunteer recruiting) processes. Any organization that cares for kids should have specific pieces in their hiring and training processes to protect kids from potential abuse. If the place you’re sending your child can’t tell you anything about their screening or protection processes, you might want to think twice before using it. At COCUSA, we utilize background checks, personal and professional references, and interviews to screen our potential staff. After they are hired, we also train them in key procedures that relate to child safety.

As parents, we have the responsibility to protect our kids as much as possible.  

     So go ahead and give the standard “no candy from strangers” advice to your kids this Halloween. After all, you never know when there might be a candy-sharing boogie-man around the next block. But let’s work on keeping them safe throughout the year too. The awkward conversations or strange looks from other parents are definitely worth it to keep your child safe.